Our Core Values

The Elders at Hickman Community Church believe that it is imperative that our values are fully understood, practiced, shared, vigorously defended and preserved. This will help the church remain effective and focused on the prize of the upward call of God.

Bring Glory to God

The overarching purpose of our existence is to glorify God. All true believers understand that the goal of all that they do is for the purpose of glorifying God. (1 Cor. 10:31)

LIVE IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY

To accept that God is in control of everything in our life, and that His ways are not our ways; that human choice is God’s sovereign means to His predetermined ends. (Rom. 11:33-36)

HOLD TO THE CENTRALITY OF THE WORD OF GOD

We glorify God as a church by preaching, studying and obeying the truths of God’s Word. The Word of God is our infallible, inerrant and sufficient authority. God’s Word is superior to all, and is not limited by anything. God only honors those who honor His Word. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 4:2)

EVANGELIZING THE LOST

Our mission on earth is to make disciples of all nations by loving them with the gospel. We do this through indiscriminate preaching to the lost, so that they might be saved. We will live out our lives evangelistically knowing that God desires all men to be saved! (Matt. 9:36-38; 1 Tim. 2:4)

FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FAMILY

Christianity begins at home. Discipleship begins in the home. The family is the primary place for God’s instruction, prayer, fellowship and evangelism. The elders and the members of HCC are committed to growing strong families because strong families produce strong churches. (1 Tim. 3:4; 5:4)

UPHOLD A QUALIFIED PLURALITY OF ELDERS AND LEADERSHIP

We believe that qualified and functioning leadership are God’s intended means to provide protection and direction for the flock of God. God’s design for leadership in the Church is that a plurality of godly men should lead. We believe in complete plurality and unanimity of elders in their leadership. (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-9)

SEE THE CHURCH AS GOD’S METHOD AND MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSES

The local church is the God given pattern for equipping the saints and evangelizing the world. It is in the context of the local church that one is nurtured, established, trained and commended for the work of proclaiming effectively the gospel to a dying world. (Matt.16:18-19; Acts 13:1-4; 2 Tim. 2:1- 2)

MAINTAIN THE PRIORITY OF PRAYER AND WORSHIP

We are called to live out our lives as living sacrifices, dying to self and living for God. The only appropriate response to God’s amazing love toward us is to live our lives in worship to God and in complete dependence on the Lord through prayer. Worship and prayer are not secondary practices in the Church but are the life and breath of the Church. (Rom. 12:1-12; Phil. 4:6-7)

CHURCH GATHERINGS PRIORITIZE CHRISTIAN’S MATURITY OVER EVANGELIZING THE NON-CHRISTIAN

We gather to equip the saints and scatter to evangelize the lost. This is a simple truth that has profound implications. The Bible teaches us that in ministry, priority is to be given to fellow Christians and then to the world. The apostle Paul outlines this paradigm of ministry in Ephesians 4:11-16. Our love for one another is to be a priority over our love for the world. It is a sincere love for one another that will attract the world to Christ. (John. 13:34-35)